Where does “schmerzen” come from?

schmerzen (German) comes from Middle High German schmerzen, from Old High German smerzan, from Proto-Germanic smertaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd- — to bite, to sting.

schmerzen (German): to cause pain, to be painful, to ache or hurt

Definitions

  1. to cause pain, to be painful, to ache or hurt

Ancestry of “schmerzen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanschmerzen—
2Old High Germansmerzanto smart
3Proto-Germanicsmertanąto hurt
4Proto-Indo-European(s)merd-to bite, to sting
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic smertaną →Every word from Old High German smerzan →
schmerzen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer